Senior Legal Counsel

Royal London; London; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK mutual life and pensions company is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to provide expert legal advice on Bulk Purchase Annuities. The successful candidate will manage legal risks and ensure compliance across projects, while collaborating with various stakeholders. This hybrid role offers competitive benefits including a generous pension scheme and private medical insurance, fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment.

Benefits

28 days annual leave

Up to 14% employer matching pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Qualifications

• Qualified Pensions Lawyer with a deep understanding of UK pensions legislation.
• Experience with Longevity Risk and/or BPA Transactions.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills to build effective relationships.
• Strong understanding of commercial and legal issues associated with bulk annuities.
• Awareness of FCA/PRA regulations and their impact on the organization.
• Ability to present legal advice to senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with laws and regulations, manage legal risks.
• Provide legal advice on business initiatives and participate in strategic decisions.
• Draft, review, and negotiate legal documents, including bulk purchase agreements.
• Collaborate with external legal counsel in a cost-effective manner.

Job description

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Senior Legal Counsel

Date: 7 Aug 2025

Location: London, GB

Company: Royal London Group

Title: Senior Legal Counsel – Bulk Purchase Annuities

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: London | Alderley Park | Edinburgh

Working style: Hybrid 50% home/office based

We’re recruiting a newly created opportunity for a Senior Legal Counsel – BPA, to join our forward-thinking Legal team, providing expert legal advice and guidance across the Group. This role is instrumental in managing legal risk, ensuring compliant delivery of market leading propositions, and protecting the company’s commercial interests and reputation.

This newly created position sits within the sub-section of the Legal team responsible for advising on all aspects of Royal London’s pension, protection and savings businesses. The focus of this position is to support our fast growing and successful Bulk Purchase Annuity business. This role will sit alongside another BPA lawyer, already well established within the team and the business.

As Senior Legal Counsel, you will provide critical support across a diverse portfolio of BPA projects and pension de-risking transactions, each at different stages of their lifecycle, from initial structuring to execution and post deal management.

The successful candidate will be a motivated and commercially focused legal professional, with a track record in providing legal advice on bulk annuities transactions.

About the role

• You will be responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, managing legal risks, and supporting business operations with sound legal strategies.
• Act as a key point of contact and p articipate in strategic decision-making processes, provide legal advice on business initiatives, and help drive overall business goals.
• Develop legal strategies and provide guidance on regulatory compliance and risk management. Manage and mitigate legal risks, identify potential issues, and provide proactive solutions.
• Provide legal advice and support to various internal stakeholders on a range of bulk annuity and de-risking transactions. Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of legal documents, including bulk purchase agreements.
• Take a leading role in proactively supporting the business navigate the Royal London Governance Framework and processes to achieve their strategy / goals.
• Collaborate with external legal counsel, as necessary, and in a cost-effective manner.
• Work with the RL Legal Team’s market leading Legal Operations professionals to maximise efficient delivery of legal advice and support for the businesses and ensure best practice in legal risk management and engagement of external counsel.

About you

• Be a qualified Pensions Lawyer, with a deep understanding of UK pensions legislation, scheme governance, and regulatory frameworks.
• Longevity Risk and/or BPA Transactions experience, including structuring, negotiation, and execution.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Practical experience covering a wide range of legal matters with strong understanding of commercial and legal issues associated with bulk annuities and pensions de-risking transactions.
• Solid awareness of the principles of corporate governance, FCA/PRA regulations and impact on the RL Group.
• Comfortable presenting legal advice to senior leadership and translating technical concepts into actionable guidance.
• Experience in leading projects and people in delivery of business goals.
• Business enabler with strong communication & Influencing skills and a proven track record working in a fast-moving environment.

About Royal London

We’re the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings and asset management products and services.

Our People Promise to our colleagues is that we will all work somewhere inclusive, responsible, enjoyable and fulfilling. This is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values; Empowered, Trustworthy, Collaborate, Achieve.

We've always been proud to reward employees by offering great workplace benefits such as 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, an up to 14% employer matching pension scheme and private medical insurance. You can see all our benefits here - Our Benefits

Inclusion, diversity and belonging

We’re an Inclusive employer. We celebrate and value different backgrounds and cultures across Royal London. Our diverse people and perspectives give us a range of skills which are recognised and respected – whatever their background.